Entertainment Weekly's: The 100 best albums from 1983 to 2008

haven't seen this posted and since it's fairly new, why not?

coulda been a poll thread. preferably a vote for the worst type poll.

Okay woah woah woah woah. Purple Rain won?!

Some unusual choices on there. In Rainbows and Amy Winehouse in the Top Ten is nice. And they chose the right Nirvana album.

I would like to point out that Interpol are before Appetite for Destruction, the Black Album, 1984, the American IV, and It Takes a Nation of Millions... INTERPOL!

19. Dangerously in Love Beyoncé (2003)

This, on the other hand, is totally doubleyou tee eff.

I remove all the ones that show up in every list and get this:

2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill (1998)
6. American Idiot Green Day (2004)
18. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
19. Dangerously in Love Beyoncé (2003)
20. Tidal Fiona Apple (1996)
21. The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey (2005)
24. Come On Over Shania Twain (1997)
29. Breakaway Kelly Clarkson (2004)
33. As I Am Alicia Keys (2007)
39. Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow (1996)
41. Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984)
48. American IV: The Man Comes Around Johnny Cash (2002)
49. A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay (2002)
59. Ray of Light Madonna (1998)
64. Mama's Gun Erykah Badu (2000)
68. Wrecking Ball Emmylou Harris (1995)
70. My Life Mary J. Blige (1994)
71. Rock Steady No Doubt (2001)
80. Back to Basics Christina Aguilera (2006)
83. Learning to Crawl The Pretenders (1984)
85. Home Dixie Chicks (2002)
92. The Writing's on the Wall Destiny’s Child (1999)

You shd remove #2 as well.

2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill (1998)

Wait - you're saying this DOESN'T show up on every list??

news to me

i see stupid lists like this all the time, but COME ON more like entertainment WEAKLY

erm, this ain't The Wire -- it's a glossy with a huge circulation. If some kid sitting in a dentist's office opens this and is persuaded to buy Low Life, Homogenic, or People's Instinctive..., it's fine by me.

yeah but is there ANYONE who actually thinks that's not at most the 3rd best Tribe album, if not 4th or 5th? it's like one EW staffer has been sitting on that challop for a decade and managed to push it past everyone else at the mag without argument.

I like this list because it was obviously a list and not poll (i.e. not the kind where it's like "e-mail us your top 100 albums of all time and we'll tally them using a point system, so only the most bland popular shit that everyone likes but no one loves will be on there").

It's gonna be interesting in the next couple years when critics are going to be forced to put some albums from this decade in their "best of all time" lists even though this decade has been absolutely fucking godawful.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill is in

Q Magazine's "(Readers Poll) Greatest 100 Albums of All Time (2003 list)" #20
VH1 Top 100 Albums #37
Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" near the bottom
Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

it's like one EW staffer has been sitting on that challop for a decade and managed to push it past everyone else at the mag without argument.

But I like that! Who the fuck wants to see another list with The Low End Theory on it? Big up some new shit!

Miseducation was also in a list of top 10 hip hop albums of all time (along with Cibo Matto and Maxinquaye lol) in TIME magazine right after it came out.

Yes, big up lesser albums, just for giggles. Viva la vida!

(xpost)

I for one distinctly remember critics absolutely going fucking MENTAL over Miseducation the year it came out. Damn fools.

Snrub, are you trying to be a cross-eyed loon in every post you're making on this thread, or are you just in the zone tonight?

erm, this ain't The Wire -- it's a glossy with a huge circulation. If some kid sitting in a dentist's office opens this and is persuaded to buy Low Life, Homogenic, or People's Instinctive..., it's fine by me.

yea, but wouldn't it improve the kid's chances if they were ALL good albums?

dude don't fite w/ Snrub, it's more fun to just let him do his thing and then quote later: the wit & wisdom of mr snrub

trap muzik

ha -- I was gonna actually throw together a reasoned response to his comments, but the more I think about it ehhhhh

im gonna take a wild guess and say this one is the worst:

39. Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow (1996)

So many RONGs, but I'm happy JT made it. Sad Aaliyah/Avalanches/Daft Punk/lots of others didn't. Well, I don't really care, but etc.

oh god sheryl crow yeah

that's actually Sheryl Crow's best album!

Miseducation also made SPIN's 90 best albums of the 1990's too.

I love that this list goes left-fieldish on all sorts of shit, but then? SOFT BULLETIN

im surprised emergency & i is not on here. was that not a big crossover album wrt to more mainstream leaning media?

yeah not really @ all (tho it did get the band a slot opening for Pearl Jam when they toured Europe)

yeah i don't think they got much notice in print mags until the album after that.

and it definitely doesn't quite fit in w/ the strain of NU INDIE CLASSIX represented on this list anyway.

idolator's suggestion that this is "really just a list of a hundred albums" seems pretty dead on. Couldn't be much more arbitrary and mainstream.

if you ignore the ranking it's an alright list

Yeah, they did pick the right Björk album, which is surprising and nice.

That said, I shudder to think of what's on teh movie list, if there is one in the issue.

thats the bjork album that everyone picks. it's either that or post.

both of which are the wrong choices btw

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988)
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler's List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

Any choice that's not Debut is an OK choice afaic.

They did do pretty good on the TV theme songs.

Lots of RONG in movie list, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see Blue Velvet that high.

At least 75% of that album list is boring.

Great thread

I was bored and came across this slightly weird/interesting(?) list:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S 100 Greatest CDs
(Published 1993)

1. Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
2. Led Zeppelin - Remasters
3. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
4. Paul Simon - Graceland
5. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon
6. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
7. Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions
8. Aretha Franklin - 30 Greatest Hits
9. J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations
10. James Brown - 20 All-Time Greatest Hits
11. The Beatles - Abbey Road
12. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
13. Various Artists - Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971
14. Phil Spector - Back To Mono (1958-1969)
15. Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
16. Nirvana - Nevermind
17. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
18. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
19. Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits
20. Enya - Watermark
21. David Bowie - Changesbowie
22. Louis Armstrong - Hot Five And Hot Seven 1925-1928
23. Van Morrison - The Best Of Van Morrison
24. Michael Jackson - Thriller
25. Roxy Music - Avalon
26. The Beatles - 1962-1966
27. Prince - Sign O' The Times
28. U2 - Achtung Baby
29. Steely Dan - A Decade Of Steely Dan
30. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight
31. The Who - Who's Next
32. Sly And The Family Stone - Anthology
33. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
34. The Band - The Band
35. Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
36. Patsy Cline - 12 Greatest Hits
37. Barbra Streisand - The Broadway Album
38. Bob Marley - Legend
39. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
40. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
41. Carpenters - The Singles 1969-1973
42. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
43. Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
44. Neil Young - Decade
45. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection
46. Run-D.M.C. - Together Forever: Greatest Hits 1983-1991
47. Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band
48. Patti Smith - Horses
49. R.E.M. - Murmur
50. k.d. lang And The Reclines - Absolute Torch And Twang
51. Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
52. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
53. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
54. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Girls Girls Girls
55. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu
56. Various Artists - Turn The Beat Around: The Disco Years 1974-1978
57. Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
58. Santana - Lotus
59. Rod Stewart - The Mercury Anthology
60. Various Artists - The Best Of The Girl Groups, Volume 1
61. Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss
62. Derek & The Dominoes - Layla
63. Billie Holiday - The Legacy (1933-1958)
64. The Stooges - Fun House
65. Various Artists - Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps
66. Ella Fitzgerald - Sings The Duke Ellington Songbook
67. The Clash - London Calling
68. The Spinners - A One Of A Kind Love Affair: The Anthology
69. Jefferson Airplane - 2400 Fulton Street-The CD Collection
70. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
71. The Police - Every Breath You Take: The Singles
72. Loretta Lynn - Country Music Hall Of Fame Series
73. Anita Baker - Rapture
74. The Smiths - Best...I
75. Pet Shop Boys - Discography: The Complete Singles Collection
76. Various Artists - The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto
77. James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
78. The Allman Brothers Band - The Fillmore Concerts
79. Johnny Cash - The Essential Johnny Cash (1955-1983)
80. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
81. The Rolling Stones - Singles Collection: The London Years
82. Eagles - Hotel California
83. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
84. Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz
85. Parliament - Tear The Roof Off 1974-1980
86. Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra
87. The Quintet - Jazz At Massey Hall
88. George Jones - The Best Of George Jones (1955-1967)
89. Buddy Holly - From The Original Master Tapes
90. Talking Heads - Popular Favourites 1976-1983 and Sand In The Vaseline 1984-1992
91. Bonnie Raitt - The Bonnie Raitt Collection
92. Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits
93. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gold & Platinum
94. The Byrds - 20 Essential Tracks From The Boxed Set: 1965-1990
95. The Weavers - At Carnegie Hall
96. Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs And Stories
97. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions - The Anthology 1961-1977
98. Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills
99. Neneh Cherry - Homebrew
100. Various Artists - Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing-Off

Ah, 1993

The original article is archived somewhere on EW.com. I stumbled on it via Google a few years ago - IIRC there was some really contentious debate among the editors and staff over what was left out and what was included, and they did mention some choices weren’t ideal due to what was available on CD at the time. (As an example, they said the two-CD “Singles Collection: 1969-1993” was just announced at the time of publication and probably would have replaced “ChangesBowie.”)

It feels all over the place but for someone who knows nothing about popular music, this is actually a pretty good primer. It doesn’t look like a sensible canon so much as an introduction to recorded music across the board.

I'd probably upgrade some of the selections to these releases, nearly all of which were compiled, (re)mastered and released later:

7. Elvis Presley - Elvis at Sun
10. James Brown - Star Time!
21. David Bowie - Singles Collection: 1969-1993
26. The Beatles - The Beatles in Mono
35. Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings: The Centennial Collection
47. Duke Ellington - Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band
63. Billie Holiday - Lady Day - The Master Takes and Singles
71. The Police - Greatest Hits
74. The Smiths - Singles
92. Fleetwood Mac - The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac
93. Lynyrd Skynyrd - The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd (2-CD)
94. The Byrds - There Is a Season

Found the article again. It actually has quite a bit of incorrect information (for instance, Exile on Main Street was NOT remixed) but FWIW, here it is:

https://ew.com/article/1993/10/29/100-greatest-cds-love-it-or-loathe-it-guide-essential-disc-library/

An EW reader in my early teens at the time, that list was formative for me, if only for introducing me to Exile on Main St and Sly and the Family Stone a few years earlier than I might have come to them.

i always used to be mystified by the inclusion of compilations in these kinds of list, but it makes much more sense as a cd-era consumer guide. these compilations were easier and cheaper to find then digging up studio albums for a lot of these early rock artists or lesser-known contributors to those genre-specific collections.

'93 list puts me in the mind of a jukebox in a dive bar in Brooklyn in 1998

Yeah, p cool as a CD era thing

Still, 'Star Time' was out by then. Also, I totally had "Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps" and it, indeed, has classic raps

https://www.discogs.com/release/109167-Various-Hip-Hop-Greats

Rhino really dominated this list, I wish they were still churning out stuff like this

i lol'd at this

43. Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

i mean sure, include it, but don't pretend that it isn't better than the carpenters' greatest hits or whatever!

Again, some of my '90s era listening habits were highly influenced by this list, but I'd count the following among the strongest compilation albums of all time:

8. Aretha Franklin - 30 Greatest Hits
10. James Brown - 20 All-Time Greatest Hits
13. Various Artists - Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971
14. Phil Spector - Back To Mono (1958-1969)
21. David Bowie - Changesbowie
23. Van Morrison - The Best Of Van Morrison
26. The Beatles - 1962-1966
30. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight
32. Sly And The Family Stone - Anthology
38. Bob Marley - Legend
44. Neil Young - Decade
45. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection
54. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Girls Girls Girls
56. Various Artists - Turn The Beat Around: The Disco Years 1974-1978
60. Various Artists - The Best Of The Girl Groups, Volume 1
65. Various Artists - Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps
68. The Spinners - A One Of A Kind Love Affair: The Anthology
81. The Rolling Stones - Singles Collection: The London Years
85. Parliament - Tear The Roof Off 1974-1980
89. Buddy Holly - From The Original Master Tapes
90. Talking Heads - Popular Favourites 1976-1983 and Sand In The Vaseline 1984-1992
97. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions - The Anthology 1961-1977

As the head music critic at EW at the time, David Browne's influence was all over this list, and he was a recent convert to the Carpenters, as well as a huge champion of that Neneh Cherry record (which, I agree, is amazing).

I owned that 1993 best-of issue! And, yes, it served as a buying guide, thanks. You can't know what it meant to have Avalon validated in America in '93.

I actually got a different version of this list from a later issue of EW. It was part of some contest they were having, and the prize was "The 100 Greatest CD's of All-Time" which they listed all on one page. (IIRC there was some fine print at the bottom referencing the date and issue number of the original article.) Anyway, having it all laid out on one page made it irresistible as a checklist - as I said upthread, it really was a great primer for someone like myself who knew only a few titles on that list. My library had most of the titles, and combined with interlibrary loans that tapped into all the nearby branches, I was able to try all of them over the course of a single school year.

It was a slow day so I typed some notes on each:

1. Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. - splurged on an SHM-SACD on this one. Not a hi-fi recording, but it's one of my favorite albums.
2. Led Zeppelin - Remasters - kind of hard and bright sounding, I eventually got all the original CD's.
3. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue - got Sony's original SACD and the MFSL hybrid SACD later on.
4. Paul Simon - Graceland - the original CD is fine. My family was a big fan of this album so it was one of the few I knew on the list.
5. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon - audiophiles debate endlessly on the best version, but the current remaster (actually dates from 2011) is my favorite
6. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde - the mono version from the Sony box set is the only place to get it on CD. I also have the MFSL hybrid SACD, which is a remix but a good one.
7. Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions - this CD actually sucks. IIRC it's a mono fold-down of the fake stereo dubs that had extra echo piled on them. Get Elvis at Sun. If you want more than the master takes, get A Boy from Tupelo which doesn't sound as good - it's been filtered - but the extras will sound better than any other CD release.
8. Aretha Franklin - 30 Greatest Hits - great CD, but I actually prefer Rhino's 1992 Queen of Soul box set. The fourth disc is very uneven, but it's got more stuff overall and for the first album and many of the singles, it uses the original mono mixes which I prefer. (30 Greatest Hits is all stereo.)
9. J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations - I think they meant the famous 1955 Glenn Gould recording. I'm sure the SACD's probably sound best, but I only have A State of Wonder, a special set that has both the 1955 and 1981 Glenn Gould recordings. Great sound, and IIRC they used the first-generation ANALOG master for the 1981 recording rather than the digital recording. (The analog was a back-up in case the digital failed, and IMHO the analog master sounds better.)
10. James Brown - 20 All-Time Greatest Hits - lots of single edits, and I prefer the longer versions. Great for the car, but the Star Time box set is essential.
11. The Beatles - Abbey Road - I'm fine with the original CD. I had a copy of the Toshiba CD which may be better, but the improvement is so marginal it's not worth paying the $$$ for it.
12. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction - MFSL did a gold CD of this, but the original CD is probably fine.
13. Various Artists - Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 - especially great because it brought the original mono single mixes back into print. I wish there were more singles by the Supremes and maybe Stevie Wonder, but you should get their own CD's anyway and most of the Motown greats are here.
14. Phil Spector - Back To Mono (1958-1969) - The two-CD ]The Essential Phil Spector CD is probably more popular now, but I still prefer this box set. I don't think the mastering is as bad as some make it out to be, a lot of that's just the low fidelity inherent to these recordings. Presentation's great.
15. Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swingin' Lovers! - MFSL's hybrid SACD is mana. But otherwise stick with the original CD and avoid everything else. (The MFSL gold CD is overrated and the later remaster from 1998 sounds like shit.)
16. Nirvana - Nevermind - stick with the original CD, with or without "Endless, Nameless." The MFSL gold CD is a bit thin and I don't like the later remasters.
17. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico - I prefer the mono mix, which was done right for the 45th anniversary box set. (The earlier deluxe set sounds off like they used a poor copy or something.) But for the regular stereo mix, the 1995 mastering is fine - that's also on the Peel Slowly and See box set. The MFSL gold CD's good too, but it's expensive and I'd rather use that money to buy the 45th box set.
18. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - original mono's the way to go. DCC and Audio Fidelity gold CD's are expensive - not sure what would be a good, cheap alternative. The 1990 CD sounds airy and thin thanks to NoNoise and the later Capitol CD's sound kind of pinched and bright.
19. Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits - still a great one and maybe the best to get. If you want more, I'd recommend the 3CD The Singles Collection Plus - that's what I have now, but a lot of those early pre-MGM singles aren't that essential and it has the undubbed version of "Weary Blues from Waitin'" rather than the released single version. (It may be the only time that posthumous overdubs were done well on a Hank Williams single. He had just died and they simply reunited the band he was already using to do what they normally would do.)
20. Enya - Watermark - I don't have this. Not crazy about New Age, but I guess this album is one everyone would know thanks to "Orinoco Flow."
21. David Bowie - Changesbowie - the "Fame '90" remix sucks and it skips some great albums, not to mention a lot of great singles. The Singles Collection: 1969-1993 really is much better.
22. Louis Armstrong - Hot Five And Hot Seven 1925-1928 - the British JSP budget box set mastered by John R. T. Davies is the one to get. Sounds better than any of Sony's reissues.
23. Van Morrison - The Best Of Van Morrison - great primer for Van Morrison, but it skips a lot of great albums. Van Morrison should have gotten a box set but he was probably against it, just as he was reluctant to release this CD.
24. Michael Jackson - Thriller - the Sony SACD has been widely pirated. It's worth finding if you're a huge fan.
25. Roxy Music - Avalon - too many reissues, but I'm fine with the complete Roxy Music box set from 2012. That was definitive, but I heard they issued some crazy-expensive box set a bit later that's even better - maybe a Japanese SHM release.
26. The Beatles - 1962-1966 - less than 70 minutes, way too short for a double CD. If anyone deserves a comprehensive box set as a rec, it's the Beatles, and I'd recommend the mono box set.
27. Prince - Sign O' The Times - I never thought the original CD sounded bad, but the new remaster is a noticeable improvement.
28. U2 - Achtung Baby - original CD's fine, I wouldn't bother with the remaster.
29. Steely Dan - A Decade Of Steely Dan - too short, and missing some classics that could have easily fit. ("Josie," "Dirty Work," "Any Major Dude...," "Dr. Wu," etc.) But it actually sounds great and you're probably better off getting most of their albums.
30. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight - sound could be better, I don't think they used the original master tapes, but the tracklist is amazing. Almost perfect, I wish they made it an even 30 (what rhymes with "Thirty"?) and included "You Never Can Tell" and "Promised Land." The Chess Box is better but the third disc is a bit uneven.
31. The Who - Who's Next - original CD pressing is actually great.
32. Sly And The Family Stone - Anthology - actually a fine selection, but they used the fake stereo copies for some of the singles, probably taken from the production tape compiled for Greatest Hits. The Essential Sly... is better, but it's got a bit too much on there. Audio Fidelity did a great, improved version of Greatest Hits for SACD that used the original mono mixes and for the 5.1 option the original quad mixes. And fans should get There's a Riot Goin' On and Fresh anyway.
33. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - I'm actually fine with the original CD.
34. The Band - The Band - original CD is actually pretty good. MFSL and Audio Fidelity released great versions too. (I prefer the latter.)
35. Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings - as mentioned, the "Centennial" remaster is definitive.
36. Patsy Cline - 12 Greatest Hits - I wish this had the original hit version of "Walkin' After Midnight" rather than the Decca re-recording. Cheap bastards didn't want to license it. The two-CD Gold (part of Universal's Gold series of compilations) is actually a great alternative, better sound and great selection.
37. Barbra Streisand - The Broadway Album - I'm not a Streisand fan, but this is probably her "best" album. If you're a Sondheim fan, you may appreciate this album more, but I've never been a fan of her singing.
38. Bob Marley - Legend - megapopular compilation, it's a great listen, but it's heavily weighted towards his later stuff. The first three Island albums are my favorite (only 3 tracks from them appear here), and a good pre-Island compilation would supplement this collection perfectly. Even then, I wish they had included "War."
39. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme - IIRC the original master tape was lost by the time they reissued it for CD. All copies, but a better production copy was eventually found in the early '00s - I think Analogue Production's SACD is the best way to hear it.
40. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska - the original CD's fine. Great pick, this got me into Springsteen
41. Carpenters - The Singles 1969-1973 - I'm not a fan, but in 2015, a PBS pledge drive offered the exclusive Complete Singles that used the original single versions for everything (i.e. no remixes, etc.) I don't know if this was ever released commercially, but every Carpenters fan should probably look for it.
42. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? - CD/SACD release history is too convoluted, but my favorite is the original mono mixes for the UK edition courtesy of "Prof Stoned." The first-generation master is considered lost, but he made an excellent copy from an original vinyl edition. I'd supplement those with the mono versions of the original singles.
43. Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 - I'd go with Otto Klemperer's celebrated studio recording
44. Neil Young - Decade - I thought the original CD was fine, but it's since been remastered.
45. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection - all remixes processed with Q sound. It's a great listen, just not the original mixes.
46. Run-D.M.C. - Together Forever: Greatest Hits 1983-1991 - great compilation, stick with the original and avoid the "1998" update.
47. Duke Ellington - The Blanton-Webster Band - heavily processed with NoNoise. Never No Lament (which recycles the new mastering/transfers on RCA's massive Centennial box set) is an improvement but the EQ is really harsh. A shame there's no truly great mastering of this set, if one did exist it would arguably deserve to be at the top of this list.
48. Patti Smith - Horses - the Arista remaster with the live "My Generation" as a bonus track is best.
49. R.E.M. - Murmur - MFSL did a great gold CD of this.
50. k.d. lang And The Reclines - Absolute Torch And Twang - interesting pick, possibly the only country album I have from the '80s by someone who didn't record until that decade.
51. Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark - DCC gold CD is great but expensive. The '90s HDCD remaster is pinched and bright to me. They're probably going to remaster it again in the next batch of Joni Mitchell reissues - except for the awful and heavily filtered remix of her debut, the others from these newer remasters have been so far excellent.
52. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions - MFSL did a great gold CD. I think Audio Fidelity may have done a good one too. Otherwise old CD is fine. The later remasters sounds harsh.
53. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - the original master tape was lost, but they found it and used it for the first time in the digital era for their 2012 reissue. Unfortunately these can only be bought as imports - the U.S. still uses the same crummy WB CD done from an inferior copy.
54. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Girls Girls Girls - sequence and selection is a bit haphazard to me, but it's a great sounding collection.
55. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu - the original CD or the current remaster is probably best. I'd skip the HDCD remaster that was released in between.
56. Various Artists - Turn The Beat Around: The Disco Years 1974-1978 - almost everything here is a single edit - none of the longer versions found on the original LP's or 12" singles. (Rhino did that for their Disco Box in 1999 too.) If they dropped the frequently crappy bonus tracks in this series, that would've freed up enough space for the longer versions, at least for CD.
57. Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - original CD is fine
58. Santana - Lotus - original CD is probably fine, but there's now a crazy expensive Japanese Blu-ray with a 5.1 mix, and Audio Fidelity did a fine version as well.
59. Rod Stewart - The Mercury Anthology - doesn't sound too great, you're better off getting the original CD's for those first four Mercury albums
60. Various Artists - The Best Of The Girl Groups, Volume 1 - a little thin and etched sounding, I wish they used the original mono single mixes too.
61. Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss - original CD is fine
62. Derek & The Dominoes - Layla - original double CD release is actually the best, cheap option. Skip the shitty 1990 remix - I think that's what EW recommended, which is wrong. MFSL has reissued this a few times, but the original gold CD and the hybrid SACD are both great.
63. Billie Holiday - The Legacy (1933-1958) - the old Columbia CD's sounded shitty. The 4CD Lady Day - The Master Takes and Singles is cheap, more comprehensive and far better all around. Even better sound-wise are the Teddy Wilson CD's released by the Scottish label Hep as many of Holiday's greatest recordings from this era were done under Wilson's name (but Wilson's a great recording artist in his own right) - these were all mastered by John R. T. Davies.
64. The Stooges - Fun House - I never liked how this sounded on CD. Old CD is lacking, remaster is really compressed.
65. Various Artists - Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps - great compilation, a bit trebly on the CD.
66. Ella Fitzgerald - Sings The Duke Ellington Songbook - the original CD is fine. Later remasters are way too bright.
67. The Clash - London Calling - I have mixed feelings about the CD's. A lot of it's on The Clash on Broadway box set - sounds great on the original 1991 edition, but I rather have the albums.
68. The Spinners - A One Of A Kind Love Affair: The Anthology - great sounding set.
69. Jefferson Airplane - 2400 Fulton Street-The CD Collection - sounds kind of shitty. The Essential Jefferson Airplane sounds much better but misses some key stuff.
70. Metallica - Master Of Puppets - the DCC gold CD is great.
71. The Police - Every Breath You Take: The Singles - missing some great singles and I don't like the re-make. Greatest Hits was just remastered for vinyl, but the track selection overall is an improvement, maybe definitive (especially if you get Zenyatta Mondatta on its own).
72. Loretta Lynn - Country Music Hall Of Fame Series - could sound better, but this is a great selection. The two-CD Gold may be a better set to get, but I haven't heard it.
73. Anita Baker - Rapture - original CD is probably fine.
74. The Smiths - Best...I - I don't like how these were compiled, and they could sound better, but I do love how the UK versions are different halves of the same photo. The Very Best of the Smiths has probably the best selection for a single Smiths CD but the band hated how they packaged it (especially the cover photo). Singles is approved but it's basically a shorter version of The Very Best... with six less songs - better cover though.
75. Pet Shop Boys - Discography: The Complete Singles Collection - I prefer the UK CD. The US CD sounds a bit too bright for my tastes. (Both have different mastering credits.)
76. Various Artists - The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto - wish the CD could sound better but it may be a problem with the source material.
77. James Taylor - Sweet Baby James - Not really a fan, but the current remaster (which may only be available through the complete WB box set) and Audio Fidelity's gold CD are probably best.
78. The Allman Brothers Band - The Fillmore Concerts - If you want the original album (and Eat a Peach), MFSL's hybrid SACD's are probably best. The Blu-ray set that has the complete sets for all shows, both in stereo and 5.1, is probably mana for diehards. I actually like this set but it's definitely revisionism - it's been completely remixed, and while I could do without the additional ambience, I like how it sounds like one seamless concert. I also like how they used a better take of "Trouble No More" and "You Don't Love Me" has a better edit than what was done on the original album.
79. Johnny Cash - The Essential Johnny Cash (1955-1983) - Still my favorite Johnny Cash set, I even prefer it to the later 4-CD set Legend box set. The smaller "slipcase" version actually sounds much better than the original longbox version due to a better, newer mastering.
80. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic - The '90s remaster is best.
81. The Rolling Stones - Singles Collection: The London Years - the 2002 hybrid SACD mastering is best, also used for the later CD versions (i.e. redbook, not SACD).
82. Eagles - Hotel California - not that familiar with all CD versions but the DCC gold CD version is probably best but expensive
83. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - not that familiar with all digital versions but the MFSL gold CD is great and I'm fine with it.
84. Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz - original CD is great. It's also on Rhino's box set of complete Atlantic recordings, which is essential, but for some reason the box set cuts off the opening notes of "Lonely Woman" from The Shape of Jazz to Come
85. Parliament - Tear The Roof Off 1974-1980 - great set, I have the albums but still listen to this a lot
86. Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra - Herbert von Karajan’s celebrated 1973 recording is highly recommended (Kubrick used his earlier but inferior recording for 2001)
87. The Quintet - Jazz At Massey Hall - original CD is fine, this actually doesn't sound bad at all despite the less-than-ideal recording, though to be fair the bass part was overdubbed after the fact.
88. George Jones - The Best Of George Jones (1955-1967) - there's no one CD that does a great job covering his pre-Epic years (Epic years are great too, but I prefer the stuff he did before). This comes closest, but at 18 tracks it's way too short. They probably could've fit ten more cuts on here, maybe even a dozen, but regardless it's missing his best Musicor stuff.
89. Buddy Holly - From The Original Master Tapes - great CD, though The Buddy Holly Collection is much longer (50 tracks vs. 20) without a drop in quality.
90. Talking Heads - Popular Favourites 1976-1983 and Sand In The Vaseline 1984-1992 - I'm not sure they got the title right, but regardless great collection, I still have this even though I have the albums.
91. Bonnie Raitt - The Bonnie Raitt Collection - I don't think this is a good selection, buuuuut Raitt picked everything herself....
92. Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits - I think Christgau is right, this makes them sound blander somehow. The double-CD The Very Best of is cheap and a better selection with some single mixes too. I wish there was a better set that does justice to their entire history - the 25th anniversary box set is NOT that set.
93. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gold & Platinum - great set, but feels way too short for a double CD set. The Essential (also two CD's) has a lot more stuff and feels like a much better buy.
94. The Byrds - 20 Essential Tracks From The Boxed Set: 1965-1990 - crappy selection from a flawed box set, for starters it has nothing from Sweetheart of the Rodeo and includes all four "new" recordings which are disappointing mediocrities. The Byrds are shockingly dirt cheap though. They issued the complete, expanded remasters of their albums on a dirty cheap box set - I think it came out to a few dollars per disc. The original 1990 box set can be found for peanuts too. There Is a Season is an improvement, but economically, it probably makes more sense to get the old box or the complete albums on their own.
95. The Weavers - At Carnegie Hall - original CD is probably fine
96. Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs And Stories - there's only one CD of this
97. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions - The Anthology 1961-1977 - great set, I still love it though after hearing MFSL's Superfly SACD, I'm sure the later solo stuff can be improved.
98. Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills - MFSL and Audio Fidelity reissued this, both sound great, but Sony's remaster is probably good too.
99. Neneh Cherry - Homebrew - I think there's only one CD of this
100. Various Artists - Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing-Off - I can't imagine listening to this again

I like the irreverent, dont-take-this-list-stuff-too-seriously move of including Golden Throats.

It's like that weird thing Greil Marcus included at the end of Treasure Island.